What’s happened so far? 

On the path to 2021
Progressing Delivery Program 2011-15
Issue 1 – November 2011

Council’s first report against the Delivery Program 2011-12 has been published. Council will report against the Delivery Program every six months, in November and May. Council’s progress towards its four year objectives developed to help us create the city of ‘Maitland 2021’ is available here.

Media Release – ‘Vibrant River City’ second meeting
7th July 2011

Maitland City Council’s Vibrant River City community reference panel met for their second monthly meeting with Maitland City Council yesterday and worked through various options for the future of the Heritage Mall.

Council staff presented the panel with three options for the future of the Mall. Panellists were presented with the advantages and disadvantages from each option as detailed in the Central Maitland Structure Plan 2009, before working in small groups to further explore these issues. Click here to view the full media release.

Vibrant River City community reference panel
30th May 2011

Maitland City Council has progressed the establishment of the Vibrant River City community reference panel, with invitations extended to 22 people from across the City. Click here to view the full media release.

Delivery Program, Operational plan and Resourcing Strategy adopted by Council
24th May 2011

Maitland City Councillors adopted the Delivery Program, Operational Plan and Resourcing Strategy at the Ordinary meeting of 24 May 2011. These documents are available to view here.

Consultation wraps up
6th May 2011

Consultation for the draft Delivery Program has concluded. A consultation summary will be released soon and made available on this website.

Public meeting – Draft Delivery Program
6th April 2011

A public meeting will be held on Wednesday, 6th April from 5pm in the Town Hall, 285 -287 High Street, Maitland. Community members are encouraged to come along to share their views discuss the Draft Delivery Program and Draft Operational Plan.

Business Leaders Luncheon
March 2011

More then 70 business leaders gathered at the Maitland Regional Art Gallery on the 30th March 2011. David Evans, General Manager of Maitland City Council, gave an overview of the Draft Delivery Program and Draft Operational Plan which was endorsed by Council on the 29th March 2011 for exhibition until 6th May 2011. Business leaders were encouraged to view the range of documents available on the Maitland City Council and ‘Your Say’ websites.

Draft Delivery Program and Draft Operational Plan released
March 2011

At its meeting of 29 March 2011, Council endorsed the release of the Draft Delivery Program and Draft Operational Plan, through until May 6th 2011. The Draft Delivery Program ties in with the ‘Maitland 2021’ plan and highlights Council’s four year objectives and one year actions for 2011/12

‘Maitland 2021’ adopted by Council
February 2011

Maitland City Councillors adopted the Maitland 2021 Community Strategic Plan at the Ordinary meeting of 22 February 2011. Following on from the 10 year plan Council is working on developing the 4 year Delivery Program including the Resourcing Strategy and one year Operational Plan.

‘Maitland 2021’ consultation summary
February 2011

A consultation summary is now available and includes comments received form our forum, formal submissions, postcards and drop-in sessions. Thank you for all the comments received and the time that was taken to share your views on the draft plan. Stay tuned for a revised, final plan soon.

 

‘Maitland 2021’ community consultation wraps up
14th January 2011

Residents have been encouraged to make their views known as community consultation on the draft ten year plan ‘Maitland 2021’ wraps up on January 14th 2011, Maitland Mercury and the Newcastle Herald had local media coverage.

 

Staff and plans hit the road!
November 2010

The first of the community drop-in sessions staged to give the community an opportunity to discuss the draft ‘Maitland 2021’ with staff has been held.

Close to 50 people took the opportunity to call in to the Maitland Regional Art Gallery to check out the plan and offer comments on 23rd November 2010.  The draft community strategic plan is one of two significant Council draft documents on display at the drop-in sessions, joined by the draft 2011 Maitland Local Environment Plan (LEP).

Maitland City Council General Manager, David Evans, attended to first session and said the plans were two of the most significant projects Council had engaged in for quite some time. 
“They are both very much about the future, not only of the city, but the community in general,” he said.

Check out the local media coverage.

The next sessions are to be held:

• Wednesday 24th November from 4pm-7pm at East Maitland Library, 3 Garnett Road, East Maitland
• Thursday 25th November from 1pm-4pm at the Pat Hughes Community Hall, Taylor Avenue, Thornton
• Saturday 27th November from 10am- 2pm at the Rutherford Community Centre, Arthur Street, Rutherford
• Tuesday 30th November from 9am-12pm at Largs School of Arts, 23 High Street, Largs
• Wednesday 1st December from 1pm-4pm at Lochinvar School of Arts, New England Highway, Lochinvar
• Thursday 2nd December 2010 from 4pm-7pm at  Millers Forest Progress Association, Scotch Creek Road, Millers Forest

 

All residents have an opportunity to have their say
November 2010

All residents of Maitland received an information pack about the draft ‘Maitland 2021’ plan in their letterboxes in mid November. The pack contained a letter from Council’s General Manager, David Evans, advising of the release of the plan and drop-in session dates scheduled across the city to give all locals the chance to discuss the draft plan, and their own ideas for the city, with Council’s project team.

The pack also included a reply paid postcard to provide all residents with the opportunity to conveniently make a comment on the plan and the big issues facing the city. The first of the responses was received within a day, with responses including:

• Bike paths connecting across the city for both pleasure and commuting
• More children’s playgrounds and play equipment in existing parks
• Make the river bank more user-friendly and beautiful
• Walking paths through local wetlands
• Community safety, in particular for the elderly.

 

Consultation draft released for community views
November 2010

At its meeting of 9 November 2010, Council endorsed the release of the consultation draft of ‘Maitland 2021’, through until January 14th 2011.

The plan has been developed following a period of community engagement including face-to-face and on-line surveys, booths at a number of key events, presentations to key groups, and a series of workshops with the Community Reference Panel, Councillors and staff. The development of the plan has also been informed by Council’s past strategic planning efforts, including the Maitland Social Plan 2009-2019, Central Maitland Structure Plan, and other key strategies and studies, as well as Council’s annual Community Survey 2009. View media release here.

 

Draft ‘Maitland 2021’ coming soon!

Following the conclusion of engagement activities for this phase of the project (including the third meeting of the community reference panel in late October), work is now underway to develop a draft ten year plan.

High level outcomes (‘What our community would like’) will be proposed for each strategic theme area, along with contributing strategies/objectives and potential partners. It also flags some of the ways we might be able to tell if we are on track to reaching these outcomes.

Most importantly, the draft plan is the basis for further community engagement across the city. Is it right? Does it capture the issues that matter most to the community? Is this Maitland of 2021 one that we all want to see? If not, what needs to be addressed?

Stay tuned for the release of the plan in mid November!

 

‘Save the date’ – drop-in sessions scheduled across the city to have your say on ‘Maitland 2021’

The ‘Maitland 2021’ team will be setting out on a road trip of the city. Call in to meet the team, hear about how the plan has evolved, discuss the plan and make your suggestions at one of the sessions below.

• Tuesday 23rd November from 12pm – 5pm at Maitland Regional Art Gallery, 230 High Street, Maitland
• Wednesday 24th November from 4pm-7pm at East Maitland Library, 3 Garnett Road, East Maitland
• Thursday 25th November from 1pm-4pm at the Pat Hughes Community Hall, Taylor Avenue, Thornton
• Saturday 27th November from 10am- 2pm at the Rutherford Community Centre, Arthur Street, Rutherford
• Tuesday 30th November from 9am-12pm at Largs School of Arts, 23 High Street, Largs
• Wednesday 1st December from 1pm-4pm at Lochinvar School of Arts, New England Highway, Lochinvar
• Thursday 2nd December 2010 from 4pm-7pm at  Millers Forest Progress Association, Scotch Creek Road, Millers Forest
• Saturday 4th December from 10am-2pm Maitland Town Hall, 285-287 High Street Maitland

 

Community reference panel workshops

September 2010

Two workshops of the Maitland 2021 community reference panel were staged in September. The panel consists of representatives from a range of groups and organisations across the city, including school students, community services, local business heritage, environment, parents and citizens, agriculture, and development.

 

While having different backgrounds and areas of interest, members of the panel were united by their common passion for the city and our local community, and soon collaborated in examining challenges and opportunities identified under key strategic themes.

 

During the workshops, a number of new challenges and opportunities emerged including:

 

• Focusing on the cultural, retail and restaurant possibilities of the Mall, and the attraction of its close proximity to the River
• Collaborating across the community to develop options for growing and sourcing food locally,   from community farms and school gardens to local producers markets
• Engaging younger people in decision-making about their needs and service provision in the City
• Linking new residential developments to public transport availability
• Ensuring our open recreation and bushland spaces are sufficient and accessible for a growing community into the future.

 

Read the revised challenges and opportunities for the natural environment, the built environment and our community and lifestyle.

 

Join the conversation in our forum and let us know your thoughts.

 

Engagement Report
Maitland Business Chamber Breakfast
16th September 2010

More than 70 members and guests of the Maitland Business Chamber gathered to actively discuss ‘Maitland 2021’ in mid September.

Maitland City Council General Manager, David Evans, gave the group an overview of the plan and progress to date, before asking those present to discuss the challenges and opportunities identified in the theme area of ‘our local economy’. Each group was asked to determine their highest priorities to be considered in the development of the ten year community plan.

Each small group was asked to allocate points – 3 for the highest priority, through to 2 points and a single point – to enable the issues to be ranked.

The top five results were:

1. Ensuring infrastructure and services meet the needs of the broad range of businesses and industries found in our city
2. Leveraging off our location, with Sydney and Newcastle in close proximity by road and rail
3. Partnering to address issues faced by the CBD
4. Marketing Maitland to investors, businesses, visitors and new residents
5. Reinforcing concentrations of economic activity into centres and employment clusters with the support of sound strategic planning, infrastructure and transport connections

These results will now be used in the development of key outcomes and strategies in ‘Maitland 2021’, complemented by the results of other engagement activities.

Click here for full results from this session.

 

Interim survey results
1st September 2010

How would you like to see Maitland in 2021? With over 452 surveys completed to date, Maitland City Council is finding out the views of the community and their thoughts on what should be the top five priorities for the next ten years. Surveys have been completed via Maitland 2021’s website, Maitland Markets, Maitland School Leaders breakfast, Maitland Aroma Festival and the Business Leaders Luncheon with the results to be used to inform a new draft community plan. Click here to view survey results. View media release here.

 

Business Leaders Luncheon
18th August 2010, Maitland Town Hall

Hosted by the Mayor and General Manager, the Business Leaders Luncheon is held every three months to give business people the opportunity to network and foster strong collaborative working relationships across the city.

With 100 business leaders in attendance, the opportunity was taken to discuss the strategic themes of ‘Maitland 2021’, and the key areas of interest identified for each of these. General Manager, David Evans, focused specifically on challenges and opportunities in the ‘local economy’ theme. These include establishing Central Maitland as the Hunter’s second largest economic centre, attracting sustainable businesses and delivering infrastructure to meet local business and industry needs. Click here for a copy of the presentation.

Those in attendance were also asked to complete the current community survey, and particularly offer views on the local business environment. These surveys are now being analysed, taking the total number of surveys to well over 500.

See the media coverage here.

 

Aroma Festival
14th and 15th of August 2010

The smell of coffee and allure of chocolate proved great for the 10,000 plus people who ventured to the Maitland Mall for the annual Aroma Coffee, Chocolate and Fine Food Festival in mid August.

The ‘Maitland 2021’ team was again on-hand, taking a double booth to speak with adults and children alike about their dreams for Maitland.

More than 500 people called into the booth to complete surveys, have a chat or contribute to our children’s dream map of Maitland. Children were asked to select an icon to represent what they would like to see in the city, with skate parks, shops, swimming pools and wildlife trees being popular selections. Many also took the time to put forward their idea, including Isabel, 9, with “I think Maitland should have more trees for wildlife” and Chloe, 13, who would like “A free zoo and fun park.”

Three hundred surveys were completed over the two days, making a valuable contribution to the development of the ‘Maitland 2021’ plan. The surveys will be analysed to reveal priorities and key issues.

Many residents also offered direct views on what they see as issues for the city. The day was best summed up by a resident from East Maitland who said  “This is how a close community should be.”  To view more comments received on the day click here.

Work is now underway to analyse survey responses.Stay tuned for an update on the key trends to emerge.

 

‘Maitland 2021’ official launch
Maitland Regional Art Gallery
Friday 6th August 2010

Close to 100 guests joined the Mayor and General Manager to celebrate the launch of the ‘Maitland 2021’ process. Special guest, 9-year-old Hunter Valley Grammar student Aimee Fisher, impressed the crowd with her ideas for Maitland in 2021 which ranged from more trees and bigger blocks of land for houses through to an airport in the city. Please click here to see a copy of Aimee's speech. The event saw the release of information sheets on the key themes needing consideration for the development of the plan.

Check out the media coverage here.

 

School leaders’ breakfast and surveys
Maitland Senior Citizens Hall
Wednesday 4th August 2010

Hosted by Maitland Mayor, Peter Blackmore, this annual event sees school leadership teams and their teachers from across the city gather to celebrate Local Government Week. This year, students were encouraged to complete our community survey developed to uncover key issues and priorities for the future. Education and training opportunities; city safety; family-friendly services and facilities; festivals and events, and environmental issues emerging as priorities.

 

Maitland Markets booth and surveys
Maitland Showground
Sunday 1st August 2010

With up to 10,000 people heading to the ever popular markets each month, the opportunity to get the ‘Maitland 2021’ brand and concept out with a market stall was too good to miss. Community surveys completed on the day revealed key themes of city safety; festivals and events; heritage and traffic/roads.

 

Community reference panel adopted
Council meeting, Maitland Town Hall
27th July 2010

With 20 members from a range of social, environmental, economic and leadership groups, the ‘Maitland 2021’ community reference panel will work with Council over the next year to seek confirmation on key issues, challenges, and opportunities facing the community across key theme areas; consult on the draft ‘Maitland 2021’ community plan; and consult on Council’s own plans to assist in meeting community plan goals.

 

Maitland Social Plan

Developed through a significant program of community engagement, The Maitland Social Plan 2009-2019 identifies community needs and strengths, as well as strategic directions, to guide Council, other levels of government, non government organisations, community groups and the community in the provision of activities, services, programs and facilities required in the City.

Our community’s strengths, needs, strategies and potential partners were determined through a range of consultation methods including focus groups, one-on- one interviews, surveys, creative art workshops, scribble boards, visioning artworks and survey, World Café forum, asset/strengths maps, miracle questioning, priority lists, brainstorming, youth forums, community services forums, networks, working parties and local stories.

Results of this community engagement and the report will be used in the development of ‘Maitland 2021’.

 

Central Maitland Structure Plan

Central Maitland is the primary centre and "heart" of our local government area, identified as such is the NSW Department of Planning's ‘Lower Hunter Regional Strategy’ and Council's own planning frameworks.

With increasing commercial development in locations such as Rutherford and Greenhills, Council is developing strategies to support the development of Central Maitland to ensure that its role as the primary centre is maintained and improve interrelationships of the many functions that make it distinct from other centres within Maitland, including professional services, commercial operations, government, community, retail, cultural and entertainment.

Council engaged the consultancy company City Plan Urban Design to assist in the development of the principal mechanism for guiding the development of our CBD - the Central Maitland Structure Plan .  This plan, adopted in late 2009, modernises planning policies applying to the area.  It contains strategies to facilitate a vibrant mix of living, working, shopping and recreational activities.  These strategies guide growth and development over the next 20 years.

Community consultation for the development of the plan involved surveying local people to discover more about perceptions of the study area, its strengths, weaknesses and aspirations for Maitland town centre. The survey was conducted during street interviews held on the Heritage Mall, as well as a web-based survey accessed from Maitland City Council’s web page.

Results of this community engagement will be used in the development of ‘Maitland 2021’.

 

Community Survey
August 2009

Maitland City Council conducted a telephone survey of 622 randomly selected residents in August 2009 to determine community views on Council’s services and service provision, overall perceptions of Council and priorities for Council planning and budgeting.

When asked to rate issues on a ten-point scale, residents gave the highest priority to road maintenance, traffic flow, road safety, community safety and security, and employment growth.

The results of this survey will be used in the development of ‘Maitland 2021’.